Thimble
by dandelion-heart
Summary: Of all the many troubles we've been promised, keeping a smile in our pockets has proven the hardest.
1. HAZEL EYES

1\\HAZEL EYES

- She had promised herself she wouldn't cry. And she didn't, keeping it locked up inside until she made the mistake of looking into his eyes and she was locked into a lingering stare as she realized that his smile was soft as the gaze he fixed onto her and the voice he used to tell her that he was so proud. Then a sob tore from her throat and she couldn't bear him seeing her tears so she pulled him in, wanting to hide the weakness she swore she had conquered.

- He held her and stayed that way for a long, long time and she was quite sure she would never let go. In his arms, there was a warmth she hadn't felt before. It was different from the time he took her hand as they walked down a snowy path at midnight and it was different from the time she convinced herself to move forward and kiss him on the cheek. What was it radiating off him and moving into her like a lullaby of peace and love?

- He sighed as he took a step back and looked at her, his beautiful eyes watery like her own. It was relief, she realized and her hands tightened on his sleeves, wanting to cling to him for a little longer. She could stand on her own and she had no reason to cry anymore but she was weak right now, merciless against his gentleness. Without his warmth, the lonely cold rushed around her.

- He grinned when she didn't let go but he understood and he wrapped his arms around her again, a richer warmth soothing her sobs. This was peace, peace with the world, she smiled, eyes closed, the last of the tears falling. All is well.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

_I hope you enjoy these drabbles inspired by the **30_hugs **LiveJournal fic challenge; __please review!_


	2. FOOTPRINTS

9\\FOOTPRINTS

- Mai took one look at the trail of imprints on soft, blindingly white snow and started following them. She didn't know why, but they looked so out of place in the untouched, pristine park that she couldn't help herself. And they looked familiar as well, as if someone had left them behind to guide her to him.

- She stepped into each footprint slowly and deliberately, noting how long the strides were and how deep the shoe sank in. She was so busy concentrating on following the path that she didn't look up until he heard him laughing.

- He was sitting on a cleared spot on the park bench, chuckling quietly as he looked at her. Mai straightened, flushing slightly.

- "You were avoiding me all of winter break!" He stood, stretching with a loud yawn.

- "No," Mai answered simply, watching as he walked towards her eagerly. He opened up his arms and beckoned her forward.

- "At least give me a welcome back hug!"

- "No," Mai started again but he scooped her up and squeezed her tightly. Her eyes widened but she smiled in spite of herself. After a moment, she sighed.

- "Welcome back Yuuichi."

- "That's my cue to let go, huh?"

- She nodded and he withdrew, grinning knowingly. She narrowed her eyes back.

- "No, I do not want another hug."

- "Aw fine then."


	3. EUTHANASIA

13\\EUTHANASIA

- He knew he didn't need to feel guilty. He had done nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all. If anyone was to blame, it was God and the horrible manipulations of time and memory He had implanted into his and her minds. She did not deserve such pain, such cruel retribution for loving needlessly and carelessly.

- But he didn't know how to quell the sobs trembling in his voice as he held her and tried his best to keep her awake, keep her eyes open.

- Life was short but anyone should only think so after tens of years in loving company before white clouded their grateful eyes. Life was unbearably short when a girl appeared to remind him she loved him too but he never asked her what she wanted – and then she started fading away weeks later. Was this his punishment? Her leaving without God listening to his say?

- He could hear her heartbeat echoing through her chest into his and he bit his lips to stop the cry of pain struggling to rise in his throat.

- He didn't need to feel guilty. He had done nothing wrong.

- But her hand fell and the bells tinkled a goodbye and suddenly she was no longer wrapped in his forgiving embrace. And all he could think of in that moment was her high-pitched laugh.

- Guilt consumed his sight and he closed his eyes as he silently began to cry.


	4. BE AN ANGEL

21\\SOIS UN ANGE; BE AN ANGEL

- Nayuki was always told to be the good girl. If she had the toy another child was crying over, the teacher expected her to give it up. If she begged for a treat before suppertime, her mother would remind her to be healthy and she would remember to be respectful. If she liked a boy in middle school that the most popular girl adored, she'd back off no matter what the boy secretly whispered to her.

- Nayuki always told herself to be the good girl. When Yuuichi came over for a summer with his on-the-brink-of-breaking parents, she knew to keep away unless he wanted to play with her and she knew to stay away from her aunt and uncle and mother while they discussed life over coffee and biscuits.

- But Yuuichi took her hand and travelled all over town calling her his leader even though he was the one tugging on her sleeve, asking her to follow him down narrow street-ways. He was loud and warm and he laughed a lot at her but he always knew when to apologize and sometimes he even crept into her room, sharing popsicles freshly stolen from the refrigerator.

- Yuuichi and his parents left early but Yuuichi somehow turned up on their doorstep a few weeks before school started, when the leaves were simmering into crisp goldens. He was confused and a little lonely despite her attempts to sneak into his room at midnight but he was still the boy who didn't mind taking her hand.

- And then the winter came the following year and he arrived at her house angry and terrified of the world and the strangest words and faintest memories. He didn't go to the fields where he had rescued a fox she found once in the basement, mewing for milk. He didn't meet with the girl he bought a fluffy pair of pink bunny ears for and he stayed inside his room, staring at the wooden floor. He refused to talk to his father on the phone and he broke a picture of her mother with his after dinner one day.

- Nayuki wasn't sure how to be the good girl around him. He ignored her and yelled when she baked cookies for him. He complained about having to walk outside with her and did his best to hide on dark blizzard days when she was bored and looking for fun. He didn't laugh anymore and he didn't make any weird jokes and he didn't pinch her cheeks and smile mischievously afterwards.

- But she didn't give up. She gave him money when he wanted it, and space whenever he was forced to stay around her, and she waited for him to heal. She didn't know what she was supposed to do but she did know she wanted to help and her heart twisted happily when she was around him.

- She didn't give up seven years later when Yuuichi returned, the same bold boy with more nerve and less inhibitions. She didn't mind that he began ignoring her again because at least in the beginning, he returned her cheerful grins and he was trying to take care of everyone he met. He was strange and gentle and still shielded from the hurt that punctured his heart long ago and she fought the urge to love him as desperately as she had before.

- She still hadn't given up five years after his complete and invisible recovery when he was at the altar with the girl who gave him something broken to fix when she was young and even when she was half-gone. Nayuki stood there by his bride in vanilla cream, and she clapped when they kissed and brushed away tears as the small girl tossed her bouquet clumsily.

- She told herself not to give up as he reached over to hug her tightly for a moment the world agreed to stop for. He drew back and suddenly she was alone but she held onto her smile because she promised herself she wouldn't give up.

- Giving up meant she'd stop being the good girl.

- And if she stopped being the good girl, she'd try and go after him.

- And she had learned long ago – good girls don't break hearts other than their own.


	5. COLLIDE

5\\COLLIDE

- "So who're you waiting for?"

- "My girlfriend."

- "Oh." Kaori spun a chestnut ringlet around her slender finger, chewing on her lip as she stared down at her snow-crusted boots. "What's her name?"

- "Shira," Jun grinned, not at her, but at the bundle in his hands. "She's really forgetful and so she leaves her stuff all over the place. A bunch of her-" he stopped and she caught a slight blush that had nothing to do with the blistering winter air settle over his cheeks, "she left some of her clothes over at my apartment."

- They stood in silence for a few minutes and Kaori was starting to run out of things to twist, having already wrinkled her gloves, pulled quite a few strings of fluff from her jacket and reached to her hair far too often for it to pass off as unintentional.

- "Oh I never asked," he suddenly said and her throat tightened out of something like acute nervousness and faint hope. "What are you waiting for?"

- "I'm not waiting for anyone," she said, turning back. "I need to go to the other side of town, I'm running out of art supplies."

- "How's that going? Your art, I mean."

- "Really well," her voice grew even softer and he blinked, uneasy.

- "Y-you know," he started and his face grew even more red, "I'd like to see your work."

- "You would?" She didn't dare look at him.

- "Yeah why not? You were always really good!" She sensed beyond his budding enthusiasm, his reluctance to look at her. "Are you setting up a gallery show or anything?"

- "Next week." Her voice was no longer clipped and quiet but yearning to spread out and she clenched her hands, hoping to keep it all in.

- "Then you gotta invite me."

- She looked up and at him, taken aback by the seriousness in his eyes and the determination in his request. Something cold over her heart melted and she risked a small smile.

- "As long as you promise to come."

- He grinned back but didn't turn around when they both heard the bus round the corner and roll towards them. He stepped forward and his confidence flickered but she kept her face under control and hugged him back.

- "Good to see you again, Kaori," he smiled and the foolish innocence on his face was clearer than ever in the morning light.

- "I better be seeing you next week," she nodded and walked towards the bus doors before she caught sight of the other girl and forgot what it was like to be happy to see him again.


	6. RUN AWAY

12\\RUN AWAY

- It was unexpected but he didn't mind. He knew better than to question her and prod into her affairs, not out of the nonsensical fear that she'd take offense but out of the possibility he might find the urge to visit where she came from and give the offending party a piece of his mind.

- His father didn't mind and shot him meaningful smiles and suggestive eyebrow raises but he pointedly ignored all the signs and tried his best to make her feel welcome.

- "You're overdoing it for Sayuri, Yuuichi!" She laughed, face as round and bright as the moon glowing through the windowpanes in her room. "I'm fine, trust me!"

- "I'm just making sure," he apologized, backing out of the room hastily.

- "Wait! I…I'm sorry for causing you trouble," she smiled gently, a little sadly, and he straightened, eyes widening.

- "What? No, don't worry about it," he grinned nonchalantly. "And I'm sorry if my dad is being overbearing, he takes a little getting used to."

- "It's fine," she shook her head, eyes calm as always, though something passed over her small face and she ducked her head.

- "Hey you alright?" Yuuichi blinked, suddenly troubled by the tightness lining her jaws.

- "Fathers can't help but try their best sometimes," she sighed and his breath hitched when she looked up, clearly distressed. "They've got so many responsibilities and they can't tell-"

- "They can be pricks sometimes," he shrugged but stopped but when noticed her face was crumpling.

- "You shouldn't say that…"

- She was finding it hard to choke the words out now and Yuuichi stood awkwardly by the door, not wanting to leave but wishing he could pull someone else in and take over. He didn't understand tears, not even his own, and when a girl broke down and he didn't understand why, what was rational and controlled inside him faded to the point where he became frenzied and anxious, unable to do anything but sputter out useless instructions.

- "H-hey, it's fine," he strode forward and knelt before her, taking one of her hands. "You don't need to say anything, unless of course you want to. And if you want to just go ahead and tell me, even though I won't be able to help you out- but just go ahead and say it still!"

- "I'm fine," she suddenly laughed and he relaxed his shoulders, hopeful. Then he realized tears were still falling and her voice was still trembling and she was trying her best to lie.

- "You know," she mumbled, brushing away the tears clumsily, "your dad is really sweet. He missed you a lot when you were gone, he told me so."

- "Is that so?" Yuuichi ignored the ache in his chest. "You know, you can stay as long as you want. I'm glad you have to work in town for a bit, we can catch up!"

- "Yeah," she smiled and her voice was easing into her familiar sweet rhythm and he didn't try to hide his relief. "Sor-"

- "Don't apologize," he grinned and stood. "Just sleep now, okay?"

- She nodded and Yuuichi paused for a moment, unsure, before leaning over and giving her a brief, one-armed hug.

- "Thank you," came the muffled giggle and he did his best to hide the flush creeping around his ears as he let go and stepped back.

- "No problem," he waved and made his way out quickly, remembering to close the door quietly.

- For some reason his heart was beating a little louder than normal.


End file.
